


i'm a rebel just for kicks, now

by kitsurama



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dysfunctional Family, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Or a collection of non-chronological order drabbles, Past Abuse, all centered around a AU where Genma finds a chibi Sai and proceeds to fuck canon up accidentally, hinted Uzumaki Naruto/Uchiha Sasuke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-01-22 03:28:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12472448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsurama/pseuds/kitsurama
Summary: Sai is nine when Genma finds him and offers him a way out. That...Changes things.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Anyways, this starts basically a year or so after Genma finds Sai. You know, they'res actual ninja therapy in this AU so no one threw a traumatized ROOT kid into the academy first chance they got and hoped for the best.

_ This,  _ Iruka thinks, wryly, _ is way above my pay grade. _

Sai blinks, transferring his gaze from Genma to Iruka. “Hello,” he greets after a moment, and at Gemma’s insistence cracks a rather odd looking smile. “They call me Sai.”

Iruka stares, takes a deep breath, and levels a look at genma.

“What,” he says, “the  _ hell _ , Genma?”

Genma grins, clapping Sai on the shoulder and with nothing less than sadistic cheer shoving the boy at Iruka. He smartly turns on his heel, waving.

“He’s your new student! And your new brother! Congrats, you’re not the baby of the family anymore, Iruka-chan!”

Iruka sputters, half in rage and half bemused embarrassment as he glowers after the retreating figure. Sai just blinks again, and cocks his head as Iruka sighs, placing a hand on his shoulder in a more gentle mimicry of Genma’s earlier action. 

“Alright,“ he begins, cracking a wry smile, “You’re a new student, huh? I’m Iruka-sensei. Lets introduce you to the class.”

Sai nods, his expression carefully blank, and Iruka doesn’t know if it’s because he’s nervous if if there's something else wrong.

Iruka might only be a chunin, but years of dealing with children— _ shinobi _ children—has left him with a deep understanding of the way they work.

Iruka looks at Sai and doesn’t see a child, but a hardened shinobi. It’s unsettling, but Iruka trusts genma, trusted him the moment he dragged him to his too crowded apartment and gave him a home and asked nothing in return.

Iruka turns towards the classroom door, spares his new student one last glance, and opens the door.

What greets him is loud, obnoxious laughter and an eraser to the head. Iruka practically crushes the eraser in his hand. 

“NARUTO!”

Sai flinches, but Iruka doesn’t pay him any mind as he honed in on the cackling blond, and if Sai didn’t know better he’d say his head would explode from stress alone.

  
  
  
  


Iruka lashes out in an impressive lecture upon the blond, and Sai takes the thing to observe the rest of the class, licking his lips slightly.

Most everyone is focused on the teacher-student spectacle—but a lone boy—Nara, Sai would guess from the sleepy, but keen eyes and dark hair, observes him with a lazy sort of interest.

Sai turns back to Iruka, void eyes taking in the way he seems to puff up and deflate, shooing Naruto back to his seat. Iruka clears his throat, turning to Sai and motioning him forward with a small smile. 

“Class,” he greets, placing a hand on Sai’s back as he steps forward. “This is Sai. He’s going to be joining us from now on.”

Everyone seems to be holding their breath, staring, but Sai only imitates a stone wall, blank faced and monotone, as he speaks.

“Please take care of me,” he says, a repeat of what Genma instructed him to say before leaving him in Iruka’s care. He doesn’t bow—Genma told him he didn’t have to bow to anyone but the Hokage if he doesn’t want to—but offers a faint nod and turned to Iruka.

“Where do I take a seat, Sensei?”

Iruka still has the smile on his face, but it’s a bit strained. “Anywhere you like, Sai-kun.”

The added honorific makes him blink, but he easily turns his head and flickers his eyes across the room, cataloging enters and exit points in record speed.

In the end, Sai chooses the seat by Naruto.

When asked why, he gives a bland smile and says,  _ why not? _

  
  
  
  
  
  


In the beginning, Naruto did  _ not _ like Sai.

He was rude and creepy and called Naruto  _ dickless, _ which thank you very much, Naruto was  _ not. _

But—

After watching him during Taijutsu class, watching how easily and effectively he took down Sasuke, Naruto decided they’re gonna be friends if it’s the last thing he does.

After all, he doesn’t remember the last time he laughed so hard after seeing Sasuke's face after Sai made him eat dirt.

(It was priceless, he swears, and if this friend thing works out, maybe Sai will help him kick the bastards ass next time?

Naruto hopes.)

When lunch rolls around, Naruto takes one look at Sai, watches how he stares at everyone else joining their friends and eating together, and realizes that maybe Sai would like to be his friend too.

Naruto plasters on a big, cheery grin and asks Sai if he wants to eat on the roof. Perhaps he asks a bit too loud, from the What Naruto guesses, startled look Sai makes, but in the end he agrees.

It escalates from there.

Naruto and Sai go from sitting together, to eating together, to training together, to eventually Sai dragging Naruto to the apartment he shares with a tokujo named Genma.

Naruto likes Genma, he doesn’t sneer at him or pretend he doesn’t exist—Genma is cool and funny and he taught Naruto how to fling Senbon from his mouth with enough force to  _ stab someone. _

Forget the Yondaime, Genma is the coolest Shinobi ever.

(At least until Naruto makes genin, then he will be second to himself.)

Of course, and after meeting Genma it isn’t long until Naruto meets the other, as the shinobi named Aoba informs him, clucking gleefully as he runs from a furious and cursing Genma,  _ chicks. _

There's Izumo and Kotetsu and  _ Iruka-sensei _ , but after witnessing Genma’s  _ scary face _ that looks a lot like his teachers, it doesn’t surprise Naruto that he was basically raised by Genma too.

  
  
  


Then it’s like this:

Naruto and Sai and Iruka-sensei and Izumo-nii and Kotetsu-nii and Genma all sprawled our on a too small couch, limbs everywhere and laughter and Sai’s tasteless jokes that end in wrestling.

Naruto will deny to his last breath how teary eyed he got after Aoba had included Naruto as another one of Genma’s chicks.

Naruto wanted a friend, and instead he got  _ family. _

  
  
  
  
  
  


The first time Sai drags Naruto to Genma’s, it’s after another failed lesson of the clone jutsu.

Sai watches as Naruto fails, watches as he laughs and brushes it off as a joke.

Sai frowns, and as soon as Iruka-sensei dismisses them he snags Naruto by the collar of his jumpsuit and drags him flailing out the window. Sai doesn’t let go--doesn’t stop until he’s looking up at a bemused Genma.

“Naruto can’t do the clone jutsu, and it’s not because he’s stupid.”

Naruto squawks, half in indignation and half in embarrassment as he wiggles in Sai’s hold. “Hey! You--Bastard!”

“Speak in full sentences, Dickless.”

“Shut up!”

Genma coughs, and there's a speck of amusement in his eyes as the two snap back around.

“Naruto, was it? Do you mind performing the clone jutsu for me?”

Naruto settles, warily, but he trust Sai, and nods as his friend lets him go.

In the end, Genma helpfully points out he has a fuck ton of chakra and no control, and he will in no way be able to perform the clone jutsu. But Genma is anything but responsible, and gleefully teaches Naruto the  _ shadow clone jutsu _ . 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starts at the beginning of Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I was going to expand on this, but I really just, couldn't so. Short chapter. Feel free to message me on tumblr or in the comments if you have a prompt for this AU. Wont promise i'll do it, but if its a possibility.

Though it started with a lot of blood and tears, the Mizuki fiasco ended on a high note.

Iruka watches Sai as he blinks, wide eyed and for once open with her astonishment as all of Naruto’s clones pop.

When he’d first heard about the stolen scroll, Sai didn’t give it much thought. Either they would get caught and punished, or get away. But when Genma mentioned  _ Naruto _ Sai uncharacteristically swore and took off before Genma could say “Ninja.”

He’d arrived at the scene just after Iruka, and through the power of friendship and henges and clones, they managed to get out relatively unscathed.

Of course, the knowledge that Naruto houses a giant chakra beast is something the two kids are still wrapping their heads around.

Also the fact Naruto included him in his precious people leaves something warm bubbling up in his chest, and before he knows it Sai is opening his mouth.

“Are we friends?”

Naruto startles, whirling around to look at Sai. He’s wide eyed and gaping unattractively, uncaring about the beaten and bloody traitor he leaves behind as he marches up to Sai.

“Of course!” He crows with fierce intent as he grabs Sai by the hands. “You might be a little weird and creepy, but you're my best friend!”

Sai blinks, and there's a suspicious burning behind his eyes.

“I…you too. You’re my best friend, too.”

Naruto beams, and Sai didn’t even realize the hint of fear that crept up until it’s gone.

(You're my best friend, they say to each other, but the silent you're my only friend is heard regardless.)

Iruka laughs, happily, though it turns into a pained groan seconds later and both boys whirl around to check up on the poor, bleeding chunin.

  
  


Of course, it only takes a day before Naruto is left wondering why his best friend is such an asshole.

“Oh,” Sai says, blinking. “I didn’t realize. Congratulations.”

Naruto separates from Sasuke with a loud smack, retort already spilling from his tongue with flaming cheeks. Sasuke is equally as red, but hides it behind his hand as he glares.

“No!” he yells, “No, no, no! I hate him! Sai—“

“But I thought you kissed the person you’re attracted to? That what Genma told me when I caught him kissing Raidou.”

“Shut up! We’re rivals! It was an accident!”

“I just assumed your rivalry was what Aoba called “unresolved sexual tension.”

Sasuke chokes, and Naruto looks two seconds away from strangling Sai.

The girls don’t look much better, and Sia wonders, not for the first time, why girls are so  _ weird. _

“Enough!” Iruka yells, startling Naruto enough to send him sprawling as Sai slips away, taking the seat to the left of Shikamaru as Naruto rights himself. Sai sends him a grin in return for his glare, resulting in a huffy blond.

It doesn’t take long for Iruka to call out teams. Sai had already calculated who was likely to be placed where, so he wasn’t surprised when Naruto and Sasuke ended up on the same team.

“But what about Sai?” Naruto asks, after everyone was sorted. “He doesn't have a team?”

“Sai has been approved for an apprenticeship,” Iruka says simply, and the class explodes.

“Why does he get one?” Kiba asks, loudly. And even Sasuke looks a bit insulted.

“Extenuating circumstances,” is all Iruka says, pointedly, ignoring Naruto’s whine about how Sai doesn't have to suffer like he does. “Hey, hey, dattebayo! Who’s gonna be his sensei, then!”

“Me!” There's a shocked gasp as the window is thrown open, senbon flying as Genma perches on the window. “Let's go, Sai-kun!”

Sai doesn’t even flinch as the senbon stab into the desk between his fingers, but he does smother a smirk as Shikamaru mumbles, “Troublesome.”

“No fair! Why does Sai get Genma! Take me too!”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been toying around with this idea for a while now and god, do i love it. anyway! totally come yell with me about this and anything else u wanna yell about with me at kitsurama.tumblr.com!


End file.
